Get a Grip: Going Vertical With Sliders

The awesomeness of a traditional slider is based on the fact that it slides the camera from one point to the other. Whether you’re moving in and out or left to right, you’re limited to the horizontal plane. What happens if you want to pedestal up or down? Normally this means either attaching a second fluid head (large sum of money) or you get an attachment designed for your slider of choice (normally a large sum of money). What if you’re on a budget and you just need something to help get the shot?

The Manfrotto 553 is a right angle bracket that is designed to help with this very issue. Filmtools uses it to create the Gripper 3025-RA, the versatile expansion of Filmtools’ most popular car mount. How can it help with a slider? This simple attachment can replace the need for that second tripod head or fancy, proprietary attachment for your pedestal slider needs! Plus, you can use it anywhere you want to get another angle option with your work! It won’t be counterbalanced, like the Matthews DC Slider, but if you’re looking for that level of production gear, the Matthews DC Slider is an excellent tool!

Here’s how the bracket works with slider combos:

Your usual set up is as follows:

Very simple and useful for your sliding needs. But what if you want to go vertical?

Here’s what your Right Angle Bracket will do for you!

When you attach the slider to the fluid head (and not the other way around), you’re able to use the fluid head as your pivot point. You can now push the fluid head all the way forward, causing your horizontal slider to become vertical. By adding the Right Angle bracket, you allow the camera to have a platform to sit on, creating your pedestal. The bonus here is that the bracket is attached via a 3/8″-16 female screw and can be removed easily. You can add it to your gear bag and have it available to not only use for your slider but any time you need to quickly mount a camera from the side of something. There’s also a bubble level on the bracket that will help you when you’re framing and prepping the shot.

One of the reasons that Filmtools is so popular is that anyone can come in and start tinkering around to find their solution. We aren’t just OK with it, we ENCOURAGE it! We know that staring at a web page can only get you so far in your work. The awesome folks in the Filmtools store encounter this on a daily basis with everyone who comes into shop. Getting the shot is the issue because “X minus Y, and since Z is in the way or can’t do something, we need to rig up a solution.” If you’re looking at this and are still figuring things out, drop by the store and talk to one of the friendly faces there. They’ll be happy to talk to you and help you out!